Published: Friday, February 1, 2013 at 6:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 1, 2013 at 10:08 p.m.

FLAGLER BEACH — Her dental checkup wasn't what she wanted — 20 cavities, one for every tooth.

Facts

Need care?

Project: Dentists Care, a resource overseen by the Florida Dental Health Foundation, offers reduced-fee dental services. More information is available by visiting www.smileflorida.org.

The girl — only in elementary school — was among 250 children in Flagler and Volusia counties who received free dental care Friday as part of a nationwide effort to improve the oral health of children.

"It breaks your heart when you see it," said Erik Olson, who saw the girl at his office in Flagler Beach and is president of the Volusia-Flagler County Dental Association.

A dozen dental offices offered cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatment, restorative work and sealants to children ages 2-18. The Boys and Girls Club bused the children to dental offices.

The event — called Give a Kid a Smile Day — has been held locally since 2010 and is sponsored by the Volusia-Flagler County Dental Association. Last year, dentists estimated they provided $77,000 in free care.

But access to dental care — even for children — can be difficult in Florida, said Scott Tomar, a professor of community dentistry and behavioral science at the University of Florida. Only 8 percent of dentists accept Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program that helps pay for health care for the needy, he said.

As a result, Medicaid-enrolled children can have a hard time finding a dentist.

"It's basically a hunting license," Tomar said. "They still have to find someone who is willing to accept them as a new patient."

Medicaid only covers emergency dental services for adults. The insurance program offers more for children, but Tomar said access can be a problem. The Pew Charitable Trusts' Children's Dental Campaign reported only 25.7 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children in Florida received dental care in 2009, compared with the national average of 43.8 percent.

Pew also dinged the Sunshine State for providing sealants — a clear, plastic coat applied to cavity-prone teeth to prevent decay — in fewer than 25 percent of its low-income schools. It gave Florida a "D" for its performance on providing sealants. On the upside, Pew praised the Sunshine State for passing a law that allows dental hygienists to apply sealants without an exam from a dentist, making it easier for children to receive the service.

In Volusia County, the Health Department partners with the school system to provide sealants to children in first through third grades at schools with a high percentage of low-income students. The department also maintains two oral health clinics for low-income residents, said spokeswoman Stefany Strong.

Although the Flagler County Health Department doesn't have a school sealant program, it sees Medicaid-enrolled children at its pediatric clinic.

"We don't have fluoridated water so a dental clinic for kids is booked solid," said Patrick Johnson, administrator of the Flagler County Health Department. "It's nonstop."

The Health Department is the only dental clinic in Flagler County that accepts Medicaid for children, Johnson said.

Lack of dental care can cost the health care system. The Florida Public Health Institute reported there were 115,000 emergency-room visits for preventable dental conditions in Florida in 2010, costing $88 million.

Emergency rooms are ill equipped to deal with dental problems and typically provide antibiotics or pain medication and refer patients to a dentist, Olson said.

Dentists generally don't take Medicaid because reimbursements are woefully low and paperwork for the program can be cumbersome, said Fred Costello, who practices at Atlantic Dentists in Ormond Beach and participated in Friday's charitable event.

Costello, a former state representative, said the state needs to increase reimbursement rates, but acknowledged it's an expensive proposition during tough budget years.

Local dentists provide a great deal of free care, though it often goes unreported and largely unnoticed, Olson said.

"You just have to do it," he said. "It's the right thing to do."

Need care?

Project: Dentists Care, a resource overseen by the Florida Dental Health Foundation, offers reduced-fee dental services. More information is available by visiting www.smileflorida.org.

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.